Monday Discussions - Art and Injuries

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Hello everyone, 
Another Monday, another topic!  

Yesterday morning my hand started hurting a fair bit but since I'd worked on art the night before it was to be expected and I didn't think much of it.  Originally I had wanted to work on more art again yesterday, but since my hand had started hurting I thought it was best to wait it out and not push things further.  Sometime around late afternoon, early evening my elbow started to hurt.  

Well, shit!  This is a new one for me.  In all of my years of having issues with my hands not once has my elbow ever been an issue.  Here we are though and I start doing the usual things to try and get the pain to subside (rest, repositioning, stretching, icing, etc).. nothing!  Nothing was working!  Okay so the pain was there and annoying as hell, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be dealt with either.  Damn it, I really wanted to work on more art yesterday!  

Given how fucked up my hands/arms are not only because I have had carpal tunnel syndrome for the last 10ish years, but now also have issues with all of the tendons coming down my arms because my shoulders are all messed up, it's hard for me to determine if the elbow issue was because I overdid it while drawing the night before, or if it's unrelated and perfectly safe to continue drawing as I please without causing another flareup.  


My whole point here is that I want to work on art when I want to work on it.  I also tend to work a piece all the way through because when I set it down midway I have a bad tendency to not pick it back up and finish it.  These things are problematic for me because my health plays into what I can and can't do with this a fair bit.  

On average I can work on art for about an hour before I start experiencing pain from it.  Generally speaking, I will work on art for over an hour 9 times out of 10.  
If I keep it below a 3 hour sitting I will usually only have pain for the rest of the day/ early into the next day. 
Anything over 3 hours starts giving me a lot more problems and end up requiring me to refrain from drawing for several days if I want to avoid another big flare up.  

Me being me means that this all doesn't go over well.  I like to do what I like to do and I do not want to be or feel restricted in any way.  As a result I often push myself over my limits and tell myself "it's just pain." (I assume this is why therapists tell me I am masochistic)

Sometimes I end up regretting those choices, and sometimes I am very content with them.  But each time I do stop and wonder how long my body will allow me to keep pushing through the pain before it just completely breaks and I will not have such luxuries anymore.  Maybe my worries aren't necessary and I'll be able to keep pushing my body the way I have been as I need/want to.  I feel like that might be an unhealthy approach to the problem though.  On the other hand, if I am worried about something that is really nothing, that is not really healthy either.  
As an artist I feel it's important for me to be able to work on art as I am inspired/motivated to do so, rather than play slave to a broken body.  

So where is the balance? What's the best way to approach the situation?  

Ring Splints by emmacatphotography

Questions for you:
  • Do you have any injuries or health problems that make it difficult for you to work on art?
  • How to you handle situations where you want to work on art but your body says no?
  • Is it more important to satisfy your mental or your physical needs? 
  • Do you have anything else of relevance to add? 

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ScarletAlpha's avatar
Sorry I'm answering late.
I do have some issues with my lefthand, because at school we are writing dozens of pages in our notebooks+ homework and due to so much pressure, my hand starts to hurt like hell. When I have such problem I can't work on my art and this thing annoys me a lot.
Also, when I am under stress, I'm simply unable to work on any art, though I want to, I simply can't. This year to me was extremely stressful and I couldn't start working on my drawing; I needed a break to clear my mind. :(
Another issue of mine is that I can't work on command let's say , 'cause this doesn't give time to think or even work more on the art. The ideas don't come out to me like this.
So this happens to me when I'm in these situations. :(